Pakistan cuts Gwadar fees, eyes transit traffic from postwar Iran

Islamabad seeks to be a hub for foreign cargo going to and from Iran

Oil tankers enter Iran through Taftan, a joint border crossing along the Pakistan-Iran border, on June 19, 2025. Pakistan believes it can help move cargo into and out of Iran and profit from the traffic. © AP

ISLAMABAD -- Looking beyond the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, Pakistan has begun offering sizable incentives to foreign cargo carriers bringing goods between Iran and third countries as it repositions itself as a regional trade hub, partly by leveraging its proximity to the Middle East's second most populous nation.